Voices in the Dark
by Kodra
Summary: Gohan's first up close and personal encounter with Videl. Please read. If you do read, please review.
1. Setting the Scene

Voices in the Dark  
  
By: Kodra Author Note: My second attempt at a DBZ G\V (please don't hold my first fic against me. I know it sucked, and made no sense at all. I had just met the character of Videl and took what little I knew about her and assumed the rest) Now that I've seen most of the series with her in it, I'm trying again. Anything that's in this story, that's also in DBZ, isn't mine. Everything else in here is. Not legally I bet, but please have the common courtesy to talk to me before use something from here. That's all I have to say. Enjoy the fic. Or think it's awful, I accept either response to my writing. So please review.  
  
Chapter 1: Setting the Scene  
  
"They're coming."  
  
"Who's coming?"  
  
"Earth is in grave peril."  
  
"From them? Are they bringing peril to earth?"  
  
"You must stay strong, and grow stronger, or you will fall and they will win."  
  
"Why me? Why not Vegeta?"  
  
"Be prepared."  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
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Gohan awoke from his dream. This dream was becoming more common. It began right after Cell, when he was still moping over his father's death. The dreams spoke of a vague apocalyptic tales, the destruction of earth, the death of his family and friends, and always of his need to grow stronger to fight these. So he did. Over the past 7 years Gohan poured his effort into training, driven by the fear of losing another loved one. He had confided with his mother of these dreams, and while she wasn't sure they weren't just the side effect of the trauma of losing his father, she allowed him to train when he wanted to. That isn't to say she let him slack off from his studies. She made sure he got the education he needed (i.e. that of a college grad) With the birth of his baby brother he realized that he was the only male role model the kid would get. Son Gohan is now trying to juggle his role as student, father figure, and defender of earth.  
  
Gohan probably wouldn't mind it so much if the whole it weren't for the insomnia that came with all that. He stumbled out of bed to grab a snack in order to get back to sleep. While he was heading for the kitchen when he noticed the light was on in the living room. He peeked in to see his mother going over several packets of information.  
  
"Mom? What are you doing up so late?" Gohan asked.  
  
Chi-Chi jumped a bit at the sound of his voice and turned to face him, "I should ask you the same thing young man."  
  
"Oh, I couldn't sleep," Gohan trailed off. There was an uncomfortable silence.  
  
"The dream again?" Chi-Chi asked, already knowing the answer.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"What did it say this time?" Chi-Chi inquired.  
  
"Just the same. I need to get strong, because "they" are coming," Gohan replied.  
  
Chi-Chi nodded understandingly.  
  
"So, what are you reading Mom?" Gohan asked.  
  
Chi-Chi shuffled the packets off of the desk, "Son, we need to talk."  
  
"Uh oh. This sounds serious," Gohan murmured.  
  
"It is serious. I've been watching you recently, and you're pushing yourself so hard. I'm worried about you," Chi-Chi told him.  
  
"Mom, I have to push myself hard. The planet needs it's defender and somehow it's me," Gohan reasoned.  
  
"I know Gohan, but I think it's time that you went out into the world which you defend," Chi-Chi explained.  
  
Gohan looked confused at her statement. "Huh? What do you mean?"  
  
"I want you to go to a real school. There's a great high school that you could attend, and I think that it would be a great time to learn how the world works. Besides, it would be a great place to meet friends your age. People you can relate to," Chi-Chi explained.  
  
"Mom, I'm the strongest person in the universe, have seen numerous resurrections, and visited outer space. I doubt any one I meet in high school can relate to that," Gohan joked.  
  
"Maybe not to that stuff, but I'm sure there are those who suffer depression and a sense of loss," his mom retorted. An awkward silence settled in the room. Chi-Chi broke the silence after a few minutes, "I'm sorry Gohan. I shouldn't have brought it up."  
  
"No. I like the idea. You're right, I do need to get out into the world," Gohan interrupted. He paused for a brief second and then quietly added, "and your right, maybe I will find a kindred spirit." Gohan smiled and gave his mom a warm hug. Chi-Chi held him for a short while and comforted him.  
  
"Try and get a few more hours of sleep my son. I'll get all the paperwork ready, and you can take it to the registration tomorrow," Chi-Chi informed him. Gohan released from their embrace and shook his head.  
  
"You get some sleep, you need to get to bed. You can do this in the morning," Gohan told her.  
  
Chi-Chi nodded in consent, "Alright Gohan, we can talk more about this tomorrow morning." She smiled at him and head off to bed.  
  
Gohan smiled and wondered to himself about this wonderful new experience he was about to face.  
  
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Gohan woke the next morning to the pounding of his younger brother Goten.  
  
"WAKE UP! Mom's almost done with breakfast!" Exclaimed the energetic young hybrid. Gohan smiled at his younger brother, who reminded him so much of himself at his age. He shortly reminisced on the days when his only care in the world was whether or not he got food. Gohan languidly got up from out of his covers and headed towards the bathhouse. He took a nice relaxing bath and made sure he was nice a clean for one his first public appearances in a long time. As he walked back into the house, he saw his brother devouring a large portion of eggs and bacon. Chi-Chi set down some food at Gohan's seat.  
  
"Go ahead, dig in son," she instructed him. He smiled at her and quickly began to eat all the food. Chi-Chi continued to talk to him. "You'll be enrolled in Orange Star High School. I've already filled out all of the paperwork and I need your signature at several spots. Once you get there, head to the office and give these papers to the registrar. First thing they'll do is registering you into the schools databases. Then they will then test various subjects and tell you where you stand in their courses. Then they'll give you a book of courses and let you make up your schedule. Once that's done they'll print out your schedule. Once you get that you can come on home. Got all that?"  
  
Gohan swallowed the last bite and smiled at her. "Got it all mom," he replied.  
  
Chi-Chi smiled, "Good, now registration begins in about 20 minutes. You aren't going to want to be seen doing anything out of the norm, so I'd suggest using that teleportation technique you've mastered to get close to the city. After that I'd travel quickly on foot, but not too quickly mind you," Chi-Chi said knowingly.  
  
Gohan nodded, "I got it. I'll be off then." He gave her a hug and patted his brother on the head. He took a step back so they weren't touching him. He closed his eyes in concentration and disappeared. 


	2. Registration Day

Foreward: Greetings, and welcome to the second installment of Voices in the Dark. I'd like to start by giving mad props out to all the awesome people who read my first installment and submitted a review. Also a huge thanks to ShaggyDiz. He acted as a sounding board for ideas and pre-read my fic for grammatical errors, such as the infamous tense issue. Anyways read my fic. Post a review whether you liked it or not. I don't mind getting criticism as long as there's a good reason behind it. In the words of PDX's King Kashue "Now, I'm not knocking anyone who writes fan-fic, and I'm sure that your's doesn't blow chunks, but let's face it, most of the people producing this stuff aren't Falkners...heck they're not even Hemmingways...no, that's cruel...most of 'em are better than Hemmingway...". On that note, let's get on with the show. (My disclaimer from the first chapter still applies)

Voices in the Dark

Chapter 2: Registration Day

Gohan reappeared just outside of the city limits. The school was only about two miles away and he had twenty minutes to get there. He walked at a considerably fast pace, but the walking motion he was using redirected attention away from him. He drew in all of the sights, taking note of different places. It was his first time in a long time to be in a city. His visits to Capsule Corp hardly counted considering he never went into the city area. It was all very new to him, and yet at the same time, it didn't bother him. He was prepared for anything at this point, and he wasn't going to be intimidated by something he was able to handle. 

He got to the school just in time. As he walked in the door a rather disturbing scene took place before him. A smaller kid holding about five different textbooks was heading towards the door, when a much larger guy bumped him to the side into another large muscle bound bully. The bully proceeded to shove the smaller kid to the ground, sending textbooks and papers flying. The two bullies stood over him laughing raucously and it appeared that they were about to do something else to him. Gohan took a step towards them and loudly, yet calmly spoke, "Leave him alone!"

The bullies turned angrily to face the intruder and saw that he was at least fifty pounds lighter than either of them. They burst out laughing once again. Gohan, being of a cooler head, was unperturbed by this gesture. "Wha *snort* what are you gonna do about it punk," the jock challenged.

Again Gohan spoke calmly, "Whatever it takes."

The bullies laughed at this statement. The one who shoved the kid to the ground jeered, "Ooooo, tough guy, heh? Let's show him what he gets for messing with us." The two thugs begin to walk towards Gohan.

People began to crowd around the three in excitement. Gohan just stood there, getting ready to defend himself. _"Great. School hasn't even started, and I'm about to get into a fight. Remember Gohan, nothing out of the ordinary. Win the fight, but make it believable." _As Gohan was mental preparing himself for the fight, a loud female voice rang out through the crowd.

"Hey boneheads! Leave him alone!" The voice belonged to a small girl walking down the hall with a menacing glare on her face. Flanking her on both sides were two blondes. One was a muscular male and the other a lithe female. What mostly caught his attention was the bullies' reaction to the small femme's comment.

"Y-yeah, sure, we was just kidding, right?' the one bully stuttered.

"Y-yeah, just kidding, ha..ha," the other bully replied. With that they both pushed through the crowd and made a hasty retreat. Gohan rushed over to the smaller kid the bullies were harassing and began to help him with his books and papers.

"Thanks man, you really saved my hide back there! My names Mike, what's yours?" the boy inquired.

Gohan smiled, "I'm Gohan. I'm new here. And it was no problem. I couldn't just stand by and watch you get beat up on like that."

Mike smiled sadly, "Well I hate to think that I got you mixed up with this type of trouble on your first day. Those guys can be pretty persistent."

The trio that intervened on Gohan's behalf walked up to them. The ebony haired girl spoke first. "You've got guts standing up to those punks. Just watch out, next time I might not be there to step in and save you," she informed him with a smirk on her face.

Gohan raised a brow at her comment. "Oh? How come your so sure that I couldn't take them?" he inquired.

Videl's smirk widened a bit. "They probably had about fifty pounds of muscle on you," she reminded him.

Gohan laughed. "That's pretty funny coming from someone I have at least fifty pounds on!" he exclaimed. Videl's smirk dropped to a frown. Mike backed away from the scene a bit. Videl Satan was not one to be mocked. She was about to comment when the muscle bound blonde interrupted her.

"You obviously don't know who this is then! She's Videl Satan! She could jump from the second floor of this building, take five guys down in mid-air, and then still land on her feet unscathed. Heck, she fights crime with her martial arts! She'd – Oof!" Sharpner was cut off by a light jab to his ribs by Videl.

"Can it Sharp, I can speak for myself. As he was saying, I'm the best martial artist and all around fighter in this school. That's why those guys ran off when I threatened them," she explained with a little irritation in her voice.

Gohan's face never faulted, but continued to question her. "How do you know I don't know any martial arts?" Gohan inquired.

Videl looked insulted. "Because I know all of the fighters in the area. I've been training for ten years now and competing for seven. I've never seen you before in my life," Videl spoke with a good deal of venom at Gohan.

Gohan offered his final argument. "That's because I'm new around here," he explained.

"Oh," Videl mumbled. Her face changed considerably. She hadn't thought of that. Her lips turned upward a bit and she had a slight smile on her face, "I guess I didn't think about that. So, do you know any martial arts?" she asked.

Gohan smiled at her. "Enough to take on those goons back there, but I do thank you for stepping in for me. I didn't want to get into fight before school begins," he explained.

Videl nodded. "Good idea. By the way, I never got your name," Videl said to him.

"I'm Gohan," he replied as he extended his hand to her.

She smiled. "I'm Videl," she smiled and grasped his hand firmly.

As their flesh touched, Gohan's mind began racing.

_"Her skin's so soft."_

"What an amazing strength she has for a human."

"She's so kind."

"She's so self-confident."

"She's so beautiful."

"They will try to kill her."

Gohan froze. That last thought wasn't his. His grip tightened for a second and then released. It was the voice from his dreams. Cold sweat began to roll down his face. Videl frowned a bit. "You alright, Gohan? You look like you just got shot," Videl said with a little concern in her voice.

Gohan regained control of his senses and replied, "Y-Yeah, I'm all right. J-Just got a weird feeling all of the sudden."

Videl eyed him suspiciously. _"Ok, so he can't lie worth shit. Something happened. Don't come across too inquisitive, or he'll shell up. Just act casual."_ "Eh, whatever," she said off handedly. "Anyways, I've got to get to my interview for that new physics class."

Mike looked rather surprised and blurted out, "You're going out for the psychokinetics class too?"

"Psychokinetics?" Gohan replied.

Videl nodded. "Yeah, it's a new field of science that Capsule Corp is pushing. They're sending a representative scientist from Capsule Corp to teach it some high school students."

Gohan thought to himself, _"Bulma has other scientists working with her?"_

"I'm really hoping to get in. I guess Mrs. Briefs has promised every student a job at Capsule Corp if they pass the test and get a recommendation from Mr. Troutvik. Starting salary of six figures!" Mike exclaimed.

"Woah. That's a lot! I take it a lot of people are trying to get in," Gohan commented.

"Sorta. The prerequisites are pretty hefty, but people from other schools are also applying, and there're only six positions," Videl explained.

Gohan nodded and the caught a glance at the clock, "Oh my! I have to go, I'm fifteen minutes late now!" He left in a rush as everyone said their goodbyes and headed their own ways.

Gohan opened the door to the office to see that he rushed there for no real reason. There was still a line waiting to turn the papers in, but it's down to three people. Gohan waited idly in the line sizing up the office. It seemed about as generic and boring as offices came. He did take pleasure in reading the few comics posted up around the room. When it finally came to his turn, he walked into the councilor's office.

The councilor was a man in his late thirties, slightly overweight, with a short brown hair mixed with a substantial amount of gray. The man looked up with a bored expression on his face. "Please sit down," he instructed. Gohan sat down in a chair in front of the desk. "Your papers?" the councilor rhetorically asked. Gohan handed over his registration papers to the councilor. He looked over the papers quickly. "Alright, go into the room across the hall and take these placement tests," he instructed while handing over a stack of tests to Gohan.

Gohan accepted the papers. "Ok, thank you sir."

"No problem," the councilor replied as he begins to type Gohan's information into the computer.

Gohan walked over to the other room across the hall. Gohan noted that it was quite packed. _"Must be because of the science class. Maybe I should try that class. Psychokinetics: Psycho means mind or mental. Kinetics means is dealing with movements. Mind movement? Levitation? Sort of like our flight abil-" _Gohan's train of thought came to a crashing halt. 

It restarted with a revelation. _"Exactly like our flight and our ki attacks. Bulma must've figured out the science behind it all. Or she must be really on to something and wants fresh minds to help her. I think I'd better get into that class. It would be massively beneficial,"_ Gohan concluded. He sat down and began to calculatingly go through the tests. He made sure all the problems were correct to in sure that he would be able to get into the class.

After an hour he turned the tests in and waited for the results. The proctor returned with a surprised look on her face. "Congratulations sonny, you managed to get a perfect. That's absolutely amazing. All you need to graduate are some fine arts, physical education, and some electives. Take these results and go back to your councilor," she praised as she handed the papers back to him.

Gohan nodded, took the papers, and walked back to the councilor. The man looked up at him with the same blank stare and asked, "Done already?"

Gohan nodded and handed him the test scores. The councilor got a little bit more interested when he saw the scores, but he's not too shocked. "Perfect huh? Lemme guess, you want an appointment with Mr. Troutvik? He's got an opening in three hours. You'll have ta wait around 'til then," he replied dryly.

"In the meantime, you can choose your other courses, which of course you don't really care about because you're only here for Troutvik's class," the councilor said cynically. Gohan looked a little confused at the man's remarks, but decided to dismiss it and instead began to look through the classes he could pick from. He only needed three classes, but was required to take at least six. He began to analyze his options.

__

"Hmmmm, I need two fine arts classes, a physical education class, and three electives. One of those will be Psychokinetics. Let's look at fine arts. Theatre sounds like fun; I've always wanted to act out all those plays mom made me read. Art shouldn't be too hard, and I might learn some techniques for my doodles. All right, there are the fine arts. Physical education seems to only have one option, so that narrows that down. Two electives? Hmmm… Computer Programming in C++? Sounds like fun. World Cultures? Guess I should take a class on that." Gohan wrote down his desired classes and submitted them to his councilor. His took a brief look at the papers to make sure Gohan hadn't made any glaring mistakes, then he set it down on his desk. "Room 236 is where the interview is taking place, be there at one o'clock," the councilor instructed him.

Gohan smiled at the councilor. "Thank you for all of you help, sir," Gohan said. The man nodded as Gohan exited the room. He was heading towards the phone to call his mom when Videl collided into him at full speed and crashed into the floor. Taken by surprise Gohan fell over with her, but quickly jumped to his feet and offered her his hand.

Videl pulled herself up and smiled at him. "Thanks! Can't talk right now, hostage situation going down," she said as she began to run out the door. Gohan looked a little blankly at her. Then he remembered what that blonde guy said about her fighting crime. He decided to keep an invisible eye on her as he locked into her energy signature. He felt her accelerate at a rapid rate, and rise off the ground.

_"She's flying?"_ he thought. _"No, there was no increase in her ki. Must have some sort of aircraft. If she is in an aircraft, I should be able to follow her undetected."_ Gohan looked around. _ "Too many people here, let's see, I should find privacy in the bathroom." _Gohan walked into the closest bathroom. Luckily for him, it was empty. He teleported himself to the area above Videl's jet copter. He rose a bit more to ensure his stealth. He saw Videl land her jet copter on the roof of an old warehouse. Gohan teleported to an area behind the warehouse. From there he scoped out the building for its occupants. Once he identified them, he teleported inside, to an area away from the action.

He found himself in a small dark closet. He shot out an eyehole through the door that he could watch the scene from there. There were five gunman and about twenty small children, a woman who seemed to be in her mid-twenties, and an old man who looked about fifty. There was one gunman talking angrily into a phone, which Gohan assumed was the leader. Suddenly, a rope quickly lowered from sky rise in the roof with a small canister on it. The canister exploded with a loud bang followed by a brilliantly bright flash. The gunners screamed in agony as their eyes watered from the bright flash.

A zipping sound came from above as Videl slid down on the rope. She swung her weight and disengaged from the rope and in one fluid motion executed a beautiful flying kick into the back of one of the gunman. She did a back flip off of him and landed on one foot, while the other barely grazed the ground, already moving into a graceful roundhouse that knocked the weapons out of three of the gunners hands. As her one foot planted itself on the ground, the other left it quickly and lashed out three times, ascending in height with each attack. Her foot struck the back of the middle gunner's right knee and then bounced over to kick the rightmost gunner in the gut. Her planted foot pivoted ever so slightly allowing her attacking leg to kick the leftmost gunner in the face. All this took a matter of seconds for her to perform, but even that was long enough for the fifth gunner to recover and steady his shotgun on her.

"Heh heh! Stupid bitch, thought you could stop us? All that's stopping today is your life," he jeered. Videl crouched down and positioned her arm to guard her face from the shot as the gunman pulled the trigger. The shot rang loudly throughout the room, but Videl never felt the pain of the shot. The gun jerked high and to the left as the gunner shot. He tried to pump it and get another shot off, but Videl wasn't one to give bad guys second chances. She exploded out of her crouched position and knocked the man to the ground. Her right hand disarmed him while her left grasped at his throat. She tossed the gun aside and gave him a swift punch across the face, knocking him out.

She stood up and looked around to see what could've caused him to miss, but saw no explanation. She opened her communication channel on her watch and spoke into it. "Chief, the targets have been neutralized. You can come in and cuff them."

"Roger Videl. He heard a gunshot, is everything ok?" the voice over the radio asked.

"Yeah, he missed. Everyone's all right. I'm heading out," Videl said. A young girl walked up to her.

"Are we allowed to go ma'am?" the small girl asked.

Videl smiled at the girl. "You're safe now. Your parents will probably be waiting to pick you up," she said lovingly. 

The small girl gave her legs a big hug and said, "Thank you for doing that for us. It was very brave," the girl said softly. Videl gave her a pat on the head.

"Your welcome. I'd do it anytime for you, but I have to go now. Good bye," Videl said. She gently pried the young girl from her legs and grabbed hold of the rope dangling from the ceiling. She pressed a button on her watch, and the rope began to rise carrying her back to her jet copter.

Gohan recognized this as his time to leave, lest he be noticed. He quickly checked the bathroom at school to see if there was anyone in there. Sensing no one, he teleported himself back into one of the stalls. He breathed a huge sigh of relief as he walked out of the restroom_. "That one guy was too close to getting in a shot."_ He was glad he went so he could help Videl out. He looked down at his watch. Ten o'clock, still two hours to wait until his interview. _"What to do, I wasn't expecting to have to wait this long. For that matter, neither was mom. Oh crap! She's probably wondering where I am!" _Gohan walked quickly to the office and used the phone. After two rings he heard his mother across the line.

"Hello?" his mother asked.

"Hi Mom, it's Gohan," he said.

"Hi! How are you doing with registration? Shouldn't you be done with that by now?" she asked.

"That's what I called about: I'm not going to be done until about twelve thirty or so. I'm trying out for an advanced science class," Gohan informed her.

"That's my boy, applying himself. Well, good luck Gohan!" Chi-Chi replied.

"Thanks Mom, I'll see you later," Gohan said.

"All right, good bye," Chi-Chi said as she hung up.

Gohan sighed and thought, _"Whew! Crisis averted!"_ He decided this would be an opportune time to get his books, locker assignments, and computer accounts. Once he had retrieved everything he needed to start school, he sat down and checked his watch. He still had an hour with absolutely nothing to do. He sat down at a lunch table and rested his chin on his upturned palm.

His thoughts began to wander to those of Videl. _"Man, she really has a lot of balance and grace, not to mention power. I don't think she can manipulate her ki, but somehow she subconsciously manages to use it. She really took care of those guys back there. But when I touched her, the voice came. 'They will try to kill her'. I guess that proves it's not just a pointless recurring dream. I'd better keep an eye out for her."_ His mind continued to ponder the situation until he noted that it was eleven fifty. He got up and made his way towards room 236.

The room itself was in a niche in the corner of the second floor. There was material on the window that obscured the view into the room. He tried to open the door, but found it locked. He sat outside of the class patiently. 

After five minutes a very large, muscular, teenage male walked out of the room. He smiled broadly at Gohan and said, "Good luck in there, pal!" He gave Gohan a hearty pat on the back. 

Gohan smiled at him and replied, "Thanks!" He headed into the room. A man in his mid-twenties was sitting at a desk furiously writing down notes onto a piece of paper. The man was about the same physique as Gohan. His muscles were well defined, but nowhere near the degree of Gohan's. He had brown hair and blue eyes. He was wearing jeans and a blue short-sleeved button up shirt. Gohan noticed that all of the room's windows were covered. He was trying to decide whether to string the man along, or to just open up and let him know who he was. On his desk was a nameplate that read 'Norm Troutvik'.

He decided for the latter and struck up a conversation. "So, how've you managed to not get vaporized by Vegeta while at the same time working for Bulma?" Gohan asked.

Mr. Troutvik didn't even miss a beat: "By being very, very, careful, Gohan."

Gohan was a little surprised by his response. "Bulma's told you about me?" he asked.

"Well, she's told me the names of the Z-Fighters, and since you're the only one your age, I figured out it was you," the teacher replied. "So are you here to say hello? Or do you want in this class?"

"I want to be in this class. I don't really know that much about my powers, and I'd like to take the chance at learning about myself," Gohan replied.

"Right, I guess I can forego most of the interview process. There's only one thing you have to realize. This class requires itself to be very cohesive. Once you get to know these people, we are expected to share our deepest secrets. I'm not going to make an exception for you Gohan," he warned.

Gohan had sat down in a desk. "Oh, so you want me to come out and tell the fact that I'm an alien to these complete strangers?"

The teacher shook his head. "You will not be telling it to strangers. The first quarter of the school year will be focused on getting to know the basics of psychokinetics as well as getting to know your classmates. When it comes time to share your deepest secrets, they will be almost as close as family. That's why I'm holding this interview, to make sure we don't get any screwballs in here."

Gohan thought about it for a while, then a thought came to his mind. "Is Videl going to be in this class?"

"Videl has all of the features I would like to see in a student of this class. The only problem is that we'll be discussing the previous conflicts on Earth where psychokinetics were used. That includes the Cell games," he explained.

Gohan looked confused. "So?" he asked.

Mr. Troutvik looked at him oddly. "Because her father is Hercule, the guy who claims to have defeated Cell."

"Oh," Gohan said as realization dawned on him. He thought for another second. "I think she'd be able to handle the truth. Heck, she needs to learn the truth eventually. Besides, she's already got some subconscious grasp on her ki."

"Please, in this class we refer to it as psychokinesis. Ki makes it sound so mystical," Mr. Troutvik replied. 

"Anyway, I'd like her to be in the class. As a fighter she could be very useful to Earth's defense if she knew how to use psychokinesis," Gohan stated.

"Why do we need more fighters? We're in peacetime and the Z-team is able to tackle anything that appears anyway," Mr. Troutvik inquired.

Gohan shook his head and spoke: "I've got a bad feeling. Something's coming, and I don't know exactly what, but I think it will definitely push us to our limits. I think Videl can handle the truth, and more importantly, something tells me that she'll be very important against whatever's coming."

"Alright, she'll be in this class. What about you?" the teacher asked.

"Bulma trusted you, and I'll trust you. I'm in."

Mr. Troutvik smiled. "Good, the class is getting together twice this week before school starts, and then we have week long camping trip, where I'll show them exactly what psychokinetics is. Meet in this room on Monday at six AM," he informed Gohan.

The teen smiled. "Alright, I'll be there. Anything else?" he asked.

"Nope, you can go," Mr Troutvik said. Gohan smiled and teleported out of there and back to his house.

Mr. Troutvik looked at the sight with curiousity and mumbled to himself: "Hmm, I'll have to ask him how he does that trick. Next!" 


	3. Moving Day

A/N: Dear lord I took awhile getting this up didn't I? Well, college finally slammed into me, and three writing intensive classes really put a hurt on my schedule. So yeah, thanks for putting up with the wait. Once water polo ends, I'll have a whole lot more time to write, so hopefully updates will come more frequently. Anyways, thanks go out to all the people who reviewed me. Kane, the funny thing is, I did put thoughts into italics, but ff.net doesn't like italics in *.doc form. Both chapters 2 & 3 have been converted to *.html form to preserve italics. 

Massive thanks go out to ShaggyDiz, who is a pre-reading machine, not only for proof reading my fic, but also my english paper. You're awesome man! I'd like to give a nod to Mandy Killmon, a long time friend of mine. I borrowed my metaphor of the city from one of her Swat Kats fics. Anyways, all that being said, it's time for the fic. Love it, hate it, but please review it. Thanks in advance.

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It was Saturday, a day after Gohan's registration for classes. It was currently the early evening and Gohan was just waking up from a very long nap that had occupied most of the day. He couldn't really sleep the night before, as the voice's words echoed through his head. _"They will try to kill her." _He would shudder every time he thought about it. The voice was real, and it was certain that something was coming. There was no denying it any longer. Gohan left the house at two o'clock in the morning and headed towards a peaceful place to meditate and train. He trained for hours, despite his body's need for sleep. He finally came in around ten o'clock in the morning, bloody, dirty, and absolutely exhausted.

He tried to go straight to bed, but Chi-Chi intervened. She dragged him to the bathhouse and made him clean up beforehand. He agreed and washed all the dirt, sweat, and blood off of his sore body. He even took the time to clean his hair. Once done, he exited and made a bee line to his bed and fell asleep. He only awoke eight hours later to a painfully empty stomach. His thoughtful mom had predicted this, and had prepared a meal large enough for three hungry Saiyans, counting on Gohan to eat a fair deal more than his normal share.

After eating, Gohan was resting in the family room, reading one a novel, when the phone rang. He lazily picked it up and placed the speaker to his ear and spoke into the receiver, "Son residence, this is Gohan."

"Hi Gohan, this is Doug Troutvik, I was calling about psychokinetics class, as well as school in general," replied the older man's voice.

"Well, what about it?" Gohan asked.

"You want to keep your powers a secret, right? Well it isn't gonna do you any good if you tell people that your commuting from the 439 mountain area everyday," the teacher replied.

"So, I'll tell them I'm living in town. Problem solved," the hybrid simply stated.

"First, I'm told you suck at lying. Second, I don't tolerate lying in my class. If someone asks you something about your past you don't want to share, you say 'That's personal', not make up a lie. That would get you caught up in a huge web of lies that will only hamper the class's productivity. Instead I'm offering you a place to live in the city. You can stay at my apartment. I'll be taking you on because you truly are qualified enough for me to board you. Then you can also be close to the other kids in class, and not have to worry about your secret being let out until you are ready," Mr. Troutvik explained.

"Wait! You mean you want me to move out and live with you while I go to school?" Gohan asked incredulously. "Pardon my saying so, but you must be off your rocker! My mom would flip if she heard your idea!"

"What idea?" Chi-Chi asked as she walked into the room.

"One second mom." He redirected his attention back to the phone. "If you want to sell the idea, you've got to sell it to her!"

"Give her the phone," Doug Troutvik replied. Gohan gave the phone over to Chi-Chi.

"This is Chi-Chi speaking," she said in a formal tone.

"Hello Mrs. Son, I'm Doug Troutvik. I work with Bulma Briefs and am one of your son's teachers. I understand that your son doesn't want to be singled out because of his powers, correct?" the teacher asked.

"Yes that's right," Chi-Chi replied casually.

"Well I was thinking about it, and commuting several hundred miles everyday could be construed as suspicious, wouldn't you think?"

"I guess it would. I take it you have an idea to remedy that?"

"Yes. Gohan would be allowed to board with me. Is that alright with you?"

"I don't know. I mean, while I did want my boy to go off to school, I didn't want him to leave home completely," she said a little nervously.

"I understand your concern Chi-Chi, but I've seen for myself the fact that he would be able to come home anytime he wanted. He knows how to handle his psychokinetic powers to a level that allows him to teleport himself. If you wanted, he could be home everyday in time for dinner, so long as he doesn't have company over."

"Well, that does sound a bit more reasonable. You will take care of him right? I mean, he's pretty new to the whole idea of living in public," Chi-Chi replied a little more confidently.

"Ma'am, I'm sure he'll be fine, and if you want, I'll keep an eye out for him,"

"Alright. Are you sure that this is absolutely necessary?"

"Your son's chief concern when he entered this class was that he didn't want to reveal himself to the class until he was absolutely sure they could be trusted. I'm just making sure that his secret is safe until that time comes," he replied.

Chi-Chi paused for a second, then turned to Gohan. "Gohan, how do you feel about moving in with your teacher?"

Gohan thought for a bit, mulling over the pros and cons of this decision. He decided to himself that this class, as well as his identity was important enough to him to keep up this façade. "If it's alright with you mom, I'd like to do it," he replied.

Chi-Chi turned back to the phone and asked, "When should he move in?"

"Move his stuff here right now, I imagine he can bring it here via teleportation. He'll need to move in by Monday though, because that's when we start meeting. I live at 657 Arena Ave. Either look up the directions or search for my psychokinetic energy. It's about 10 times as big as anybody in the city. Just be careful you don't accidentally lock on to Videl Satan's energy, because she has a bit more than most as well," the teacher replied.

"Alright, he'll be over shortly. It was good talking to you Mr. Troutvik."

"As it was with you Mrs. Son, goodbye," he replied as he hung up the phone.

Chi-Chi placed the phone back on the jack and turned to her son. "Gohan, go get all your things situated and take them over to Mr. Troutvik's apartment. Then come straight home. I was thinking that maybe we could do something as a family tonight. Perhaps play a board game together," Chi-Chi said.

Gohan nodded and replied, "Sure thing mom, I'll be right back." Gohan exited to his room, gathered his stuff together, and left.

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Two days had passed since they Mr. Troutvik had invited Gohan to live with him. Gohan had successfully moved into his apartment. The weekend was great, but he could tell that his leaving home saddened his mom. He reminded her that he would come home often, but that didn't help her much. When it came time to leave, it was a truly sad occasion. Chi-Chi teared up a bit and Goten clung to his older brother's leg. After he said his goodbyes, he teleported himself to his new home. It felt weird to think about that. He'd never lived anywhere else than that home his grandfather built so many years ago. He was lying on the bed in his new room when Mr. Troutvik walked in.

"Get up Gohan, it's time for our first meeting," Mr. Troutvik (or Doug as Gohan was instructed to call him in private) said.

"Sure thing Mr. errr...Doug," Gohan said as he jumped up off the bed. The older man turned and began to walk towards the exit, with the teen following him. The drive was uneventful, and quiet. It was ten to six when they got to the school.

They quickly made for the specially modified room, specifically used for this class. The windows were mirrored so you couldn't see in and the door was sealed so no noise could escape. There was a device used to read swipe cards that would unlock a door. "How did you get the school to dedicate a room for this class, and allow you to modify so much?" Gohan asked.

"Bulma pushed a couple hundred grand their way. They really couldn't say no," Doug replied. Doug used his keycard to open the door. He propped the door open and sat down behind the desk at the head of the class, and pulled some papers out of the drawer. "Go ahead Gohan, take a seat." Gohan did as he was instructed and waited patiently. After three minutes people began to come. First was a guy who was a little less than six feet tall. He had long curly blonde hair and a goatee on his chin. Next was a petite oriental girl, about five feet in height, with flowing black hair. A few minutes later Videl walked into the room, followed by Mike, the guy Gohan rescued from the bullies. At six o'clock, Mr. Troutvik began to talk.

"Welcome to our first meeting as a class. As you all know I will be teaching you about the Biochemistry and Physics of Psychokinetics. It seems that we have one member running a bit late, but I'll start without him."

Loud fast paced footfalls are heard coming down the hall and towards the room. Everyone turned towards the door, seeing a large guy stomp into the room. Gohan recognized him from yesterday as the guy he accidentally ran into in one of the hallways. His hair was wet and his clothes were damp. "Sorry about that sir, I just got out of football practice and wanted to get cleaned up fore I came to this meeting."

"It's alright Jake. Please take a seat," Mr. Troutvik replied. Jake sat down in a chair next to the blond haired kid.

"As I was saying, I'm going to teach you all about the science and history behind the practice of psychokinesis. And as much as I'm sure you're all wondering what exactly I mean by that, I'm afraid you'll just have to wait. These two meeting sessions are mainly for getting to know each other very well. You will most likely become very close to each other, as you will need to study together. I'm sure several of you have barely ever studied in your life, being smart enough to get by. That is all about to change. You are the brightest students there are. Yet you still are young, and some of your math and science skills, no matter how much further ahead than your peers, are still deficient when it comes to the level we will be talking at. I will teach you these skills, and then I will expect you to know them." He paused for a second to let all this information to soak in.

"I will also expect you to perform multiple labs, and eventually, a project relating to what we'll learn. You will be working with partners. I've already paired you up with your lab partners for the year. I intend that you will be able to get along. The partners will be Mike and Jake, Gohan and Videl, Stephanie and Andrew. Tonight will be primarily spent on getting to know your partners. I only have a few more clerical things to get out of the way, but I made sure you cleared up enough time to spend some time with you lab partners. Get to know them, as you will most likely be working with them for a very long time." 

Mr. Troutvik picked up six packets of information and handed them out to each student. "This is the information for the upcoming weekend. We will be going out into a very isolated part of this region, and there I am going to show you everything that this class is about. That way, we can maintain the secrecy involved with such cutting edge technology as well as get some fresh air. All that being said, you are dismissed. Remember to come back Wednesday with the ability to tell the rest of the class about your partner."

The students paired up with their partners and began to chat amongst themselves about where to go to hang out. Gohan moved up beside Videl and gave her a smile. "Good to see you made it in this class."

Videl looked up at him and nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm pretty happy. I was rather surprised I edged out some of the competition. So, it looks like we're partners for this year. In case I never fully introduced myself, I'm Videl Satan." She offered her hand to him as he was walking.

"I'm Gohan Son," he replied as he grasped his hand. A wave of déjà vu rushed over the two. The words the voice spoke flooded Gohan's mind. The saiyan stiffened a bit, though he was fortunate that Videl didn't pay any mind to it.

"So where do you want to hang out?"

"I don't know… I'm pretty new to this town. Where would you suggest?"

"We could head back to my place. I need to work in some workout time any ways."

"That sounds good, could I get a ride with you?"

"Sure, hope you don't get air sick. I use a jet copter." 

Gohan chuckled a bit at the thought of him getting airsick. "No, I've never gotten air sick in my life. Lead the way."

Videl nodded and lead him out of the building. Once outside, she threw a capsule to that exploded into a jet copter. Gohan hopped into the passenger seat and Videl took her place behind the stick. The trip to her manor was quiet. Gohan was busy being in awe of the beautiful overhead view of the city at night. Videl, meanwhile, was busy with her own thoughts. _"His name is Gohan, eh? So, he's a brainiac and gutsy. If he's new to the city, then I wonder where he's staying, where he's from. I wonder if he's got any clue what this class is about. Psychokinesis: mind movement. It's gotta be about the mechanics of the brain. I wonder if the scientists over at CC have finally figured out how the brain works. Maybe..." _her thoughts were interrupted by Gohan's one personal musings.

"It's really beautiful isn't it?" he asked with wonder in his voice.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

  
"The city. At night, everything's lit up. It's like a place you would hear about in fantasy stories, with magical lights emanating off of a tower. It's so beautiful. Like a beautiful princess dressed in the finest robes."

"Hmph. No, not a princess, that city's more like a whore. Sure it looks beautiful on the outside, but once you get into its depths, it reveals its true colors. It'll take everything you have away from you if you aren't careful Gohan. I should know, it-" she cut herself off abruptly.

"It what Videl?"

"I'm sorry Gohan, but that's a pretty personal matter I don't like to discuss."

"I understand Videl. I understand." Gohan's voice was filled with pain as he thought of the many subjects he'd rather not discuss.

Videl glanced at him with a bit of curiosity, but quickly returned her gaze to the skies ahead of her. Her manor was quickly approaching, and in a few seconds they were landing on the ground. Gohan looked with interest at the size of the building.

"That's a pretty nice place you got."  
  
"Yeah, my father's testament to his glory. Fair warning, prepared to get bombarded by my father's narcissism once we enter the house."

Gohan smiled as he thought of a certain warrior prince. "No big deal. I've had to deal with narcissists on multiple occasions in my life. I've learned to take everything in stride."

"Good philosophy. If we're lucky, we'll get to the training room without any incident with my father. Otherwise, be prepared for the third degree."

Gohan gulped at the idea of getting grilled. "Well, hopefully we can avoid that."

Videl nodded as the jet copter set down. She hopped out and scanned the area. _"Shit, father's in the dining room."_ She quietly whispered to Gohan, "Stay low and follow me."

He nodded, and followed her as she made her way to a side entrance. Once they got inside Videl motioned to him to follow her. Soon they found themselves in a training area.

"Was that really necessary?"

"Yes, my father's pretty funny about guys and me. Part of it's comforting and sweet, but it's also annoying as hell."

"So, where do you think we should begin?" Gohan asked.

"One second, I need to get changed into some workout clothes." Videl replied as she left. Gohan nodded and lied down on one of the padded benches in the room. He took note of the rooms contents. It had some free weights as well as some machines. It also had some sandbags raised up to use as a punching and kicking bag. After a few minutes, Videl came out wearing some tight shorts and a tank top. As a small hint of red showed up on Gohan's cheeks, he mentally noted that she was a very attractive girl, at least in his personal opinion. "So where were are you from?"

Videl began to kick away at the bag at a nice quick tempo. "Orange Star City, born and raised. That is, 'til they changed the name to Satan city. What about you?"

"Always been from good old rural Mountain Area 439. My grandfather built a nice little house that we still live in."

"If you've lived out in the boondocks all your life, how'd you get enough education to get into this class?"

"My mom was pretty set on me getting an exemplary education, but she sorta went overboard. I've taken algebra-based physics, college level calculus, and I've dabbled a bit in calculus-based physics. I also am a pretty quick learner, and being home schooled, I could go at my own pace, which is faster than a public school will allow you to go at."

Videl gave a nod as she increased her tempo. "I understand that. I've never felt truly pressed in any of my classes. Well, my math and science classes at least. Just don't ask me to tell you the implications of homosexuality in Blake's poetry. Never been a huge English person. By the way, where are you staying in the city?"

"I'm staying with Mr. Troutvik as a boarding student." He paused a moment, starring at the way she attacked the bag. "You know, you should probably kick at varying heights. If you get so used to kicking in one spot, it'll get ingrained in your subconscious, thus making you more predictable in a fight."

Videl threw him a glare. "What makes you such an expert at fighting?"

Gohan threw his hands in the air in hopes of calming her. "I've studied martial arts for awhile, so I know a thing or two about it."

"Hmph. Listen Gohan, I know you think you know something about fighting, but I've been fighting extensively for a long time. I can take on armed criminals with nothing but my martial arts prowess."

Gohan let out a smirk. "And you were calling your father a narcissist?"

Videl's eyes widened with fury for a few seconds. Then she calmed down, and gave a smirk of her own. "Your right. Talk is cheap. Let's go, right now. The changing rooms are through that door and to the left." She said as she pointed to a door.

Gohan looked a little panicked. "But..."

"No 'buts', Gohan. Time to put your money where your mouth is. You should find one of my father's old training uniforms in there. He was about your size once. Now get." She pulled him up off of the bench and tossed him into the changing room. He looked around and found a cabinet marked "The Champ's _Gi_'s". He opened the cabinet and found a _gi_ that more or less fit him. He quickly changed and followed the signs towards the sparring area. As he opened the door he found himself at the foot of an arena that seemed all too familiar to the Cell Games arena. As bitter memories threatened to attack his memory, he put them down. He had forgiven himself long ago for the sins of that day. He stepped up to the arena with confidence. He pushed his _ki_ down, to the point where he was primarily using his muscular energy to attack. Videl was waiting on the stage with a smirk on her face.

"I take it there's no way for me to get out of this besides fighting?"

"Heck no! You're going down Gohan! I'm gonna make you eat your words!"

"Alright. Best of three?"

"Sure, you can be defeated by ring out, pin, or knock out."

"Gotcha, let's begin." Gohan adopted his preferred combat stance, while Videl took hers. _"She's very offensive…she wants to pound her opponent into submission quickly. Her stance is defensive in the front, but all other sides are exposed."_

Videl rushed forward at a quick pace. Gohan readied himself for her attack. _"She'll strike hard with her right, and try to knock me to the ground with a quick left. She must take me for an amateur."_

As she was about to reach Gohan she sped up much faster than him and leapt into a low flying kick, which connected to his ribs. As he stumbled backward from the blow she landed on her left foot and dove into him knocking him to the ground. She punched once stopping less than an inch from his face.

"You like some fries with those words?" Videl asked sweetly

"Two out of three, remember?"

"You want me to beat you again? You never mentioned being a masochist." 

"You never mentioned how cocky you get after one victory either. Don't worry, I kinda assumed it."

"Why you! That's it, you're going down." She flipped up off of him and back into her fighting stance. Gohan hopped to his feet and lowered into his stance. Videl leapt forward towards him but then drew back, hoping to draw an attack. He didn't take the bait, so she quickly delivered a strong blow towards his gut. As she pulled back for the strike, he lunged forward and grabbed her forearm. He planted his feet to the ground and pulled her arm behind her back. He drew her legs from under her and pressed her to the ground. He pounded his free hand into the ground, mere millimeters from her head, signifying his victory.

"It's all tied up, one each."

"Yeah yeah, get off of me already!" Gohan helped her up to her feet. She gave him an embarrassed look on her face. "Listen, that was a pretty good move. No one's ever pinned me in one move. I'd like to apologize for my arrogant comments. I think we got off on the wrong foot here. I can see now that you are a good fighter, and that you may be a good sparring partner. So I'm saying I'm sorry."

Gohan gave her a wide smile. "I'm sorry for igniting this with my comments. I need to think some more before I speak. I hope we can get on a bit better now."

She nodded a bit. "Thanks, now let's go back to the practice room so we can get talk in a more comfortable environment. And Gohan..."

"Yes?"

"Change back to your normal clothes. Dad's _gi_ looks ridiculous on you."

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Gohan had just hopped off of the jet copter from Videl taking him home. After their fight, they managed to stay on good terms, and have a good talk about lives as a teenager from different environments. There were only a few awkward times when they strayed into topics too personal for either person to talk about, but mostly it was a good time. Videl had to admit to herself with a good deal of frustration that she found Gohan attractive. He was smart, kind, sharp-witted, truthful, and physically attractive. Not that she would reveal this to anyone, including herself. Still, other things bothered her about Gohan. The one that stuck out most was his form. His defense seemed to be most concerned about people who would attack from above.

There was definitely something different about him, and she was bound and determined to find out what.

Next Time on Voices in the Dark: Join the class as they venture far from civilization and learn their first lesson in psychokinetics.


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